Washington Irving once wrote, xe2x80x9cThere is certainly something in angling that tends to produce a gentleness of spirit, and a pure serenity of mind.xe2x80x9d No doubt, Mr. Irving had in mind the peaceful moments of the sport of fishing when an individual has his pole in hand and line and lure in the water. Nothing in life is ever quite that easy or that perfect. Fishing is no different. As the best anglers in the business are well aware, frustrations abound along the way to landing the big one. Not least of these is the often tedious task of sorting out the hooks, lures, weights, leaders and other devices fishermen must assemble before making that first cast. How many times has an angler, having glimpsed a large dorsal fin within striking distance, missed out on the opportunity to add to his trophy case because of an inability to equip his line in a timely manner? The instant device gives every angler hope that this nightmare will not repeat itself.
Fishing lures do not lend themselves to convenient and efficient storage, especially when the lures are rigged with wire or monofilament leader (as is usually the case). As even the average angler well knows, keeping more than just a few lures in the same compartment of a tackle box is a difficult proposition. The hooks of one lure often become entangled with the hooks of one or more other lures. The leader lines, which are often several feet in length, frequently become entangled. To avoid such entanglements, anglers often remove the leader line and store it separately, but this takes away from the time that could otherwise be used fishing. It also requires additional storage space.
Furthermore, the odd shapes and sizes of the near-infinite variety of lures makes storage difficult. Many lures have delicate features such as feathers or other xe2x80x9cskirtxe2x80x9d materials that can be easily damaged by entanglements and improper storage. Even the largest, most expensive tackle boxes do not have enough compartments of various shapes and sizes to store efficiently the multiple lures that fishermen often possess.
The general object of the invention is to permit fishing lures of variable shapes and sizes to be efficiently stored, transported and handled. Utilization of the instant device eliminates entanglements of the lures and leader lines that can hinder the fishing experience and sometimes result in damage to the lure itself. Proper use of the invention will protect and extend the useful life of fishing lures which can often be expensive. It is a further object of this invention to provide a device that is affordable to manufacture and purchase.
These and other objects and advantages are obtained in a device and method for storing fishing lures. The invention is a storage device comprised of a rigid spool, having a hollow interior. The annular outer surface of said spool is generally concave and defines an annular channel for receiving the leader line as will be described below. Said channel is comprised of a floor and two side walls that extend from said floor. At least one of said walls contains a plurality of slots that will receive the end of the leader line as will also be explained below. A tab having a hole extends from the periphery of one of said walls to permit hanging of the device.
In the preferred embodiment, the spool is generally cylindrical, although it is anticipated that other shapes could be employed. The inner diameter of the spool will vary and depend primarily on the size of the lure to be stored therein.
A hollow lure storage element extends across the hollow interior of the spool. Each of the ends of said storage element intersect with the floor of the channel to define openings in the floor of the channel. In one embodiment, at least a portion of at least one of the openings is curved, as is described in more detail below. It will be appreciated that the curved opening reduces the possibility for xe2x80x9ckinkingxe2x80x9d the leader line that otherwise might result from winding the leader line around the channel if the curved opening was not present.
In one embodiment, the storage element has a generally circular cross-section. However, it is anticipated that alternate configurations of the storage element may be employed. For example, the storage element may have a generally square cross-section, a generally oval cross-section, a generally triangular cross-section, or a generally hexagonal cross-section. A small aperture is located in the floor of the channel adjacent to the openings. Said aperture receives the tip of the trailing hook of the fishing lure so that it can be secured in place and reduce the possibility of snaring other objects. The storage element should be made of firm but flexible material to allow for a secure fit around the lure without causing damage to the lure. It is further anticipated that the material used to make the storage element should be non-opaque to permit the lure stored therein to be viewed. Clear plastic is one example of a material that could be used to make the storage element.
The present invention enables the user to store, transport and access numerous pre-rigged artificial lures without the usual frustrations of entanglement and premature wear and tear on the lures and leader lines. In addition, the present invention is affordable to manufacture.